The requirement for the ecological safety of mankind on the planet determines not only the dynamics, but also the structure, of the power industry. In the basic scenario of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the emission of greenhouse gases by the power industry will increase from 28 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2005 to 62 billion tonnes by 2050 (which will raise the temperature of the earth by 6 degrees Celsius from today's level), and 65 trillion dollars will be required for development of the world-wide power industry. Over the 150 years of statistical observations, 33% of the economically attainable part of the explored reserves of oil, 14%; of gas and 9% of uranium, but only 4% of coals have been extracted. The attainability of the cost-effective reserves of hydrocarbons will, in fact, determine the development of the anthropogenic power industry in the coming decades [Makarov A. A. Director of the Institute of Power Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, Doctor of Economic Sciences. (Based on a paper read at the Scientific Session of the Russian Academy of Sciences General Assembly “Scientific and technological forecasting—a most important element in the development strategy of Russia”, 16-17 Dec. 2008)].
Discharges of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, have increased to a significant extent due to the burning of powdered coal fuel at power stations, which generate the electrical power essential for life. Coal is the main fuel used for electrical power generation, accounting for about 40%. It is anticipated that the global demand for coal will rise by 73% in the period between 2005 and 2030, as the use thereof will increase in many industrial countries, including the rapidly-expanding major countries such as China and India, which account for 74% of this growth. Coal is the main power generation resource of China, but the extended use thereof in the future is hampered due to the increase in the “ecological component” of its price. Significant efforts are therefore being made in relation to the ecological aspect [Energy Technology Perspectives. Scenarios & Strategies to 2050. International Energy Agency, Paris, 2008].
Brown coals provide about 4% of world-wide power generation (13% of power generation in Europe), but some countries, such as Greece (76%), Yugoslavia (67%) and the Czech Republic (51%) are excessively dependent on the use of brown coal for electrical power generation. The largest consumer of brown coals is Germany, where 28% of electrical power is generated using brown coal.—In Australia, the extraction of low grades of coal predominates in the state of Victoria, and it is consumed at power stations located close to the extraction site, which produce 97% of the electrical power of the state, or 25% of the total electrical power produced in Australia [Utilisation of Low Rank Coals. David J. Allardice and Brian C. Young*, Allardice Consulting, 10 Arcady Grove, Vt., Vic 3133, Australia].
The high capital costs of brown coal thermal power stations, together with their high carbon dioxide emission level, the need to burn more coal in order to evaporate off the moisture, and concerns about global warming are concentrating the attention of specialists throughout the world on the development of improved technologies which make it possible to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions and to increase the efficiency of combustion for various coals, as part of the solution of the problem of climate change. Various proposals have been made for securing the highest efficiency from the use of fuel such as coal as an energy source. The main solutions which have been developed in order to achieve these objectives are based on the gasification of coals—Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and the use of advanced, more efficient, turbines with super-critical steam cycles, also other supplementary improvements which raise thermal efficiency to 38-41%, depending on the moisture content. This is a significant improvement, compared to the 29% efficiency achieved by existing power stations burning brown coals [Utilisation of Low Rank Coals. David J. Allardice and Brian C. Young*, Allardice Consulting, 10 Arcady Grove, Vt., Vic 3133, Australia].